All fish / Malapteruridae

Electric Catfish

Malapterurus electricus

Also known as electric catfish, african electric catfish, electric cat, malapterurus, ปลาดุกไฟฟ้า, デンキナマズ, lele listrik, 电鲶, 电鲇

It is a stocky, sausage-shaped catfish with a rounded head, small eyes, six barbels and no dorsal fin, coloured greyish brown with dark blotches and a pale belly. Keepers value it as an unusual oddball species that can produce strong electric discharges of up to several hundred volts to stun prey and deter threats.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep alone

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen fish, earthworms, prawns, mussel and meaty pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

West and Central Africa, including the Nile, Niger, Chad and Senegal basins

Breeding

It is thought to spawn in burrows or cavities in the wild, but breeding in home aquariums has hardly ever been reported.

Good to know

Its shocks can hurt people and will kill or stun any tankmates, so keep it alone and unplug equipment before doing maintenance. It can grow to over 100 cm in the wild, though most kept specimens stay much smaller.